Recipes / Discussions on cooking from Team-BHP Master Chefs

This is a discussion on Recipes / Discussions on cooking from Team-BHP Master Chefs within Shifting gears, part of the Around the Corner category; Originally Posted by manolin
... .: I don't have a grinder, microwave or oven.
You only need a heavy pot ...

Great recipe from @alpha1, though I would think a slow simmering braise should be overnight - around 12 hours. In the good old days, great slow-cooked stuff like 'maa-chholey di dal' or Nihari was left to simmer overnight - on the dying embers of a coal 'choolha' after dinner was made! Difficult to replicate now.

Great recipe from @alpha1, though I would think a slow simmering braise should be overnight - around 12 hours. In the good old days, great slow-cooked stuff like 'maa-chholey di dal' or Nihari was left to simmer overnight - on the dying embers of a coal 'choolha' after dinner was made! Difficult to replicate now.

I have more or less replicated slow cooking. Here is how
. One of my gas burners had a very small flame to begin with. When the jet choked a bit, it resulted in a really a small flame - takes 1/2 hour to boil 1/2L water.
. I preheat what ever I want to slow cook on the normal gas and then move it to the small gas.
. Every two hours switch the gas off for an hour and then continue.
. Done from morning till evening the method mimics slow cooker and the results are worth it.
. I have cooked - Whole Urad Dal and Mutton using the method.

Needles to say the cook pot is a thick bottom one with a tight fitting lid

Great recipe from @alpha1, though I would think a slow simmering braise should be overnight - around 12 hours. In the good old days, great slow-cooked stuff like 'maa-chholey di dal' or Nihari was left to simmer overnight - on the dying embers of a coal 'choolha' after dinner was made! Difficult to replicate now.

Of course, the longer the merrier. I believe 6 hours is the minimum it takes to start getting palatable, and the flavors getting infused in the stew.

My recipe for Nihari is solely based on what all I could taste; hence, it doesn't have the typical throw-in-all-spices-in-your-kitchen style. I might (actually make that must) have missed quite a few subtle ingredients (which I have tried to make up by adding the typical awadhi style cardamom+mace+nutmeg at the end )

And of course: the taste of nihari lies in the shanks (and the marrow). No other part can produce that taste.
Spices are just adding on to it ...

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aroy

I have more or less replicated slow cooking. Here is how
. One of my gas burners had a very small flame to begin with. When the jet choked a bit, it resulted in a really a small flame - takes 1/2 hour to boil 1/2L water.
. I preheat what ever I want to slow cook on the normal gas and then move it to the small gas.
. Every two hours switch the gas off for an hour and then continue.
. Done from morning till evening the method mimics slow cooker and the results are worth it.
. I have cooked - Whole Urad Dal and Mutton using the method.

Needles to say the cook pot is a thick bottom one with a tight fitting lid

You know, I was thinking almost in similar lines - if there is a burner available for extremely low heat! The small LPG burner is still too hot.

That's the 'maa' in 'Maa chhole di daal' - 'chhole' being chana dal. A childhood favorite used to be the mix of all whole dals slow-cooked by the corner tandoor-wala on the tandoor after he was done for the day.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aroy

... Needles to say the cook pot is a thick bottom one with a tight fitting lid

Heavy bottomed brass utensils have gone out of fashion. Sometimes I feel fired-clay pots would be better.

Heavy bottomed brass utensils have gone out of fashion. Sometimes I feel fired-clay pots would be better.

Would a 'rice cooker' (those Japanese contraptions) work?

Actually I use aluminum pots. You can get them in quite a variety of thickness, as they are preferred by professional cooks. The only down side is that the heavy gauge vessels are large - 15 inches or more in diameter.

Some how inspite of all the hype, stainless steel heavy gauge vessels are just not upto the aluminum ones. I have one but it just would not do.

I have tried cooking mutton in a "Matka" - 2-3kg at a time.
. Soaked it in water for one day
. Dried it in sun
. Heated it on medium gas and then added ghee
. Fried the onions - they take longer as the heat is medium
. Fry the mutton
. Seal the lid
. cook on lowest heat available for 3+ hours.

The mutton comes out beautifully. The only problem is that the pot is single use only. Had a discussion with the potters and they claimed that thicker glazed pots are generally used for multiple times, but are rarely available now a days.

For a moment I thought why would you soak the mutton in water and dry it in the sun, till I realized you are talking of the pot!!!

Yes, such vessels are rare in north, though not very uncommon in the rural areas in south. I have seen a lot of earthenware (rudimentary glaze just to seal the porosity of fired clay, ~10mm thick) in use along the western coast in the rural areas. Never in the urban areas, where I think a couple of generations back using metal vessels became a sign of emancipation and prosperity.

True, I wish we get Crock Pots that work at 220V. The US ones won't work here.

True, I wish we get Crock Pots that work at 220V. The US ones won't work here.

The remedy is simple, get a 220V to 110V transformer. As a crock pot will consume less than a KW of power, such a transformer would cost a couple of hundred rupees. (Think of it as a cheaper version of the old style manual stabilizer which had a knob to select voltage - no switch no multiple tapping, so cheaper). You can get one made at a neighbor hood motor rewinding shop.

I had used a similar transformer for appliances from Russia where they had 220V and 127V devices.

Well, the remedy is not so simple today at that power rating. Even I have a lot of devices from Japan and US - even the smaller 50VA transformers cost 500-800 now! A 1KVA one will cost a couple of K - IIRC transformers cost upto 10/VA for small ones, reducing down to 5/VA for larger ones. The old stabilizer size transformers are not available, simply because the cottage industry making stabs is virtually dead. :(

I want to try with a Rice Cooker sometime - when I get time. Usually the max. time I get in the kitchen is a couple of hours - the little old lady's work takes priority over my dabbling!

Well, the remedy is not so simple today at that power rating. Even I have a lot of devices from Japan and US - even the smaller 50VA transformers cost 500-800 now! A 1KVA one will cost a couple of K - IIRC transformers cost upto 10/VA for small ones, reducing down to 5/VA for larger ones. The old stabilizer size transformers are not available, simply because the cottage industry making stabs is virtually dead. :(

I want to try with a Rice Cooker sometime - when I get time. Usually the max. time I get in the kitchen is a couple of hours - the little old lady's work takes priority over my dabbling!

Well I guess the only recourse is to search for one of those old manual transformers in the junk market, and get some one to modify it.

For a moment I thought why would you soak the mutton in water and dry it in the sun, till I realized you are talking of the pot!!!

Yes, such vessels are rare in north....................

The earthen pots which are used to cool water were also used to slow boil and simmer milk. With constant use they would turn black with the thick crust of carbon deposit on the outer side and shiny with the fat deposit from inside. These Would be placed in "Tandoor" over live cow-dung cakes with milk in them. The milk would keep on simmering and turn pinkish brown in the evening with almost half inch thick crust of "Malai". This milk tasted out of the this world. These vessels; called "Hara" in chaste punjabi, and this practice is present even today in almost every village in north.
My grand-mother would heat milk for about 6-8 times in a brand new "Hara" and then cool it and give it to the calf, and this is how the "Hara" was tempered and prepared for human use.

Here is something i wanted to share: A quick hunger buster and maybe most of you guys already know about it. I call it a quickchip noodle (takes 5 minutes to make).

Ingredients: Cup noodles/ Maggi (I prefer the former)
Lay's cream and onion/ magic masala/ Kurkure (Either of the 2 lays chips flavours and a kurkure of your choice)
Some tomato sauce and a teaspoonful of vinegar and soya sauce(mix these in the ratio of 5:1:1 - per 5 spoons of tomato sauce, 1 spoon of vinegar and soya sauce)

1. Cook the noodles with the masala which is given. (save some of the masala for garnish).
2. Mash the chips into little bits and the kurkure into small portions (not so small that you choke on it)
3. Spread the cooked noodles on a plate and use the noodles masala to garnish the noodles
4. Liberally garnish the noodles with the mashed chips and kurkure.
5. The sauce serves as an accompaniment and can be poured over the noodles if you like it that way.
6. Enjoy.

Not the healthiest of dishes but it could be taken in case of dire emergencies (Like when mom/wife is not at home . P.S: I am unmarried!)

1. Take about 500 grams of boneless chicken
2. Add 1 tbsp of Red chilli powder
3. Add 1 tbsp of salt
4. Add 1 lemon extract (juice)
5. Mix these well and allow it to get marinated for 30 mins in refrigerator.
6. Now (after 30 mins marination) add 1/2 cup of thick yogurt.
7. Add 1 tbsp of red chilli powder
8. Add 2 tbsp of ginger garlic paste
9. Add 1/2 tbsp of salt
10. Add 1/2 tbsp of Garam masala powder.
11. Mix it and allow it to marinate for 2 hours in refrigerator.
12. Now grill it out using Microwave / you can do it on gas tandoor / you can also use non stick tawa to cook.
13. If you are using non stick tawa for cooking, add some oil to the tawa (a very little bit is enough, say 2 spoon of oil)
14. Cook the chicken on the tawa for 10 mins, make sure that you allow to cook on all the sides.
15. Now the Tikka is ready, spread some chopped onion and a piece of lemon and serve it.

I tried it during the weekend and it came out really well. this was my first attempt and everyone felt it was YUMMYY.. My Nephew was behind me on sunday as she want me to cook the Tikka again :-).

For a moment I thought why would you soak the mutton in water and dry it in the sun, till I realized you are talking of the pot!!!

Yes, such vessels are rare in north, though not very uncommon in the rural areas in south. I have seen a lot of earthenware (rudimentary glaze just to seal the porosity of fired clay, ~10mm thick) in use along the western coast in the rural areas. Never in the urban areas, where I think a couple of generations back using metal vessels became a sign of emancipation and prosperity.

True, I wish we get Crock Pots that work at 220V. The US ones won't work here.

A handful of Gurgaon shops stock a Panasonic crockpot made in Malaysia, but old 2010 pieces only. You can order newer ones AFAIK.